The Sparrow Project - Part I"
By: Lt. Simon Zent, CSO, [NPC]
Sarik, Chief Science Officer, [PST]

Stardate: 58204.14 2150

==Refugee Science Freighter==

Sarik materialized on the ship. He saw Zent already scanning the area.

Zent nodded at Sarik, "I've determined the source is coming from this direction." they walked down a corridore, Zent shifting his tricorder from side to side then stopping. "In here" he said looking at Sarik.

"We should proceed then." There was little power in the freighter, light sources were low. Sarik went to the doors, but they didn't open. The tap button didn't work either "It will not open, we should force it open."

They manually opened the hatch to what appeared to be a large cargo bay filled with scientific apparatus. There was a large machine humming in the center.

Zent approached the machine, walking its length, studying the device. It was roughly cylindrical, waves of light pulsed down a central shaft running its length from a large sphere shaped structure.

"Fascinating." Sarik looked at his tricorder. "High concentrations of chroniton particles, emanating from this device."

"It appears to be powered by a quantum singularity." Zent concluded.

"Indeed we should be cautious lieutenant"

"It almost doesn't look like federation design does it?" asked Zent.

"My estimations are the same, this device has been constructed in the first place with federation material, as you will notice in the basic design. However the construction seems to be largely build of other components which we should identify." Sarik put his tricorder on the floor while reaching his to his science kit.

Zent stood near the spherical part, it was almost 3 meters in height. He had surmised as well, that it was a structural containment system for a quantuum singularity. This type of power source was unusual for Federation. It almost hinted at Romulan based technology. Zent's thoughts lingered on the word, "Romulan."

As Sarik continued scanning Zent stepped to what appeared to be the device's control panel. It was a multilayered LCARS panel. It showed the system was activated. His fingers traced the menu schematics. As Sarik drew near for a closer look himself, Zent said, "this panel controls a molecular phase inverter..." He looked up. "That means this is a...." he paused, letting Sarik complete his observation.

"Interphase generator. Romulan technology." Sarik looked at Zent. "The Romulans experimented with this device in 2364. The device failed to work. The high concentration of energy made it explode. However this seems fairly stable."

Zent's fingers continued to dance across the panel, ..."this section mixes the phase inverter stream with chroniton particles. "That doesn't make sense, those particles causes instability with interphasic matter."

Sarik looked at the inverter stream. "The chroniton particles are subjected to high energy pulses, perhaps to ionize them." Sarik raised an eyebrow.

"And then..." continued Zent, "they are injected into." He looked up at the end of the device with a very puzzled look on his face and repeated himself as he walked toward the far side of it. With his tricorder going he stopped at the end of it, took several more steps. He looked back at Sarik. "This is odd" he said. Zent held his hands forward as if he were lost in the dark and stepped forward. Suddenly his hands vanished. He pulled his hand back suddenly, they rematerialzed after several moments. Zent wiggled his fingers. "What the....?"

"Fascinating." Sarik looked at the odd expression on Zents face. He scanned his hand with the tricorder. "Lieutenant, your hand has ceased to age approximately .02 seconds in compare to the rest of your body.

Zent pick up his tricorder, still testing his fingers. It was a rather diconcerting affect. "A temporial device combined with an interphase generator?"

"I believe that the theory behind this technology is not only to alter the molecular substance but also the temporal substance, making it in effect timeless." He looked at the device. "However I suspect that there is much more to this device. We should be very careful with it as we don't know yet what we are exactly dealing with."

"How do you suggest we proceed?" asked Zent.

Before Sarik could answer, they were interupted

"Well, well." A raspy voice behind them spoke cynical. "Two maquis traitors trying to grasp what is beyond of their comprehension." A rather young man looked at the two officers. He was wearing a greasy long white coat and held a old type federation phaser in his hands.

Sarik looked at Zent. "An unpleasant surprise I believe."

"Very Astute." Said Zent with a glint of sarcasim.

"And to whom do we have the pleasure?" Sarik asked

"I am the inventor of this idea, isn't it great?"

He looked at Zent. "I am protecting my device at all costs.

Sarik, "Then tell me... inventor... how do you explain the loss of chroniton particles and the 0.06 residual energy build up in the phase invertor. I suggest you check your invention." He raised an eyebrow at Zent who looked strangely at the Vulcan.

"I...I..." He was speechless. In a moment of amazement he was caught off guard. Before Zent and Sarik could try something he restored himself. "The device is not perfect yet and that's why I don't want anyone to know! Especially those damn vulcans with their ...ears."

Sarik rose an eyebrow. "Ears? In all these years, I have never been referred to my ears as an incentive to place unpleasant remarks." He looked at Zent.

Zent looked at Sarik and tried to keep a straight face.

"However, pointing at my ears to insult me, won't place me in a state of agression. However there is a chance that some vulcans might be offended, most unlikely, but hypothetically possible."

"Really?" asked Zent looking at the vulcan, Isn't being offended an emotional response to a negative stimuli?"

"Insulting is indeed an emotional response, however some vulcans, unlike myself, will be provoked by a negative stimuli. As I said it is highly unlikely. But if we are threatened by words and feel that the aggressor is also able to put those words into deeds I might react accordingly."

Zent nodded, "So in situation where that man over there says he hates your ears, that would at least for some vulcans cause..."

"STOP IT!" he man shouted, he was getting confused by them.

"I am sure you have nothing to fear from us." Sarik looked at him. "Perhaps you can take us to your chief, he will be most eager to hear from Dr Sarik and Dr Zent. You see that we are just like you, merely scientists trying to discover more about this universe."

"We're not armed," said Zent, neglecting the small type I phaser in his belt. "We picked up the scans," said Zent looking at Sarik and knowing how good he was at poker, continued to try and unnerve the man, "...the device is going to go critical in 16 minutes....Its imperative we see your...chief." Said Zent following Sarik's lead.

"I... cannot bring you to him. He is... not available." He stammered.

Zent wriggled his fingers and looked back at the far end of the device. It partly made sense. "Because he is in interphasic space, isn't he?" asked Zent sternly.

"No he is in his office." The young man looked nervous.

"Well perhaps you can tell him that we are eager to see him."

"I ... dont think he wants to be disturbed."

Sarik nodded at Zent. "We will just send him a message."

"You cant! He cannot receive anything."

"We know how to send a message through this device. He will understand."

"I cannot let you to."

"So he is indeed in this interphasic state? I must say you are forthcoming with information. Tell me young man was it your intention to have your chief killed in an accident so that you could claim this device as your own?" said Sarik.

"Besides, said Zent, "we'll all be dead if this thing blows up, think of all the woman and children, it will all be on your shoulders."

The man turned red as both officers spoke that out. "You are accusing me of something i have never done!"

"Then you wont mind we save your career and life by brining your chief back to us." Said Sarik

"You have to hurry, there isn't much time left." added Zent.

The man looked as if he saw a ghost. "I...I..." he stammered

"I mean, just look at this display," said Zent walking over to the device with his finger pointing. The man turned his back on Sarik while keeping the phaser pointed at Zent as he walked to the control end of the device.

"See? there is a build up of ionized particles in the injector manifold causing molecular degradation, this thing is going to blow!"

"No! you are lying!" the man screamed at Zent, now holding the phaser up at shoulder level, pointing with his other hand, "You are trying trick me. When Dr. Sparrow comes back he's going to..." he didnt seem to get out of his words as Sarik quietly approached him from behind and performed a vulcan nerve pinch.

The man slid to the floor momentarily paralized.

Zent looked up at Sarik, "Doctor Sparrow, I know of him..." he murmered as he turned to the device. "The device is stable, but it is putting an enormous drain on the ship. Its possible that if the energy input levels get to low, the device could go critical."

He said looking at Sarik.

"I'm betting Dr Sparrow is in there," said Zent pointing. "I'm going to go find him." He looked at Sarik for approval.

Sarik raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Zent turned and walked into the device and vanished.